Diversity of music videos

Diversity of music videos

A diverse music video is effective as the artists stand out from other music videos and catches the target audiences attention. A diverse music video allows the record label and the artist the freedom to be as creative as they want through various mise-en-scene elements as well as the narrative, performance and concept of the music video.
One artist that is known in particular for her diverse image is Lady Gaga. She is one of the most shocking artists within the music industry as she wears the most unusual costumes. One of which features a meat costume. This connotes to the audience the artists characteristics as her personality is portrayed through her work. Lady Gaga displays a recurring motif through her work which is shown through the media as well as her music videos. One music video of the artist  has created that is diverse is 'telephone' featuring Beyonce. Locations in the video consist of a prison in which the narrative goes on to inform the audience that the artist poisons and kills people. This subverts a generic pop music video as it shows the artist to be bad and dangerous. She is also see to be wearing costumes that displayed voyeuristic treatment of the females body. This portrays her diverse image and values as rebellious to the audience.

What makes music videos unique:

• Different settings 
• Costume and Make-up
• Props
• Characteristics
• Themes/concepts
• Mise-en-scene
• Censorship

Chris Cunningham and Michael Gondry are both directors who are known for making diverse music videos. They both subvert stereotypical genre characteristics and create unique videos that differ from other mainstream music videos. None of the music videos they have created conform to the generic conventions of a music video. Chris Cunningham is a british director who is known for directing Madonna's song 'Frozen' and for directing 'Windowlicker' by Aphlex Twin.

Chris Cunningham - 'Frozen' by Madonna

                                                                           

The music video appears to be more Gothic opposed to a pop music video due to the dark colours that are used. Not only does the video consist of dull colours but Madonna is seen to be wearing a long black dress with black hair. This subverts the conventions of a pop music video making it diverse. A contrast between the colours are shown as her skin is pale white like she is 'frozen' compared to her black costume. The music video also displays conventions of a horror through location and editing techniques. It video is set in a middle of the desert in which she transforms in animals such as birds.  This shows diversity as no other pop music video does this.   This music video is unrealistic and subverts from the conventional costumes you would expect to see in a pop music video and therefore it is considered to be diverse.  

The music conforms to Goodwin's theory as there is evidence of demands of the record label of close ups of the artist. This is seen to be evident in the music video as close up camera shots are used throughout the music video. This is effective as it enables the audience to see the artists facial expressions and therefore the audience are able to build up a relationship. There is further evidence of Goodwin's theory in the music video as there was a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. When the artist sings 'Love is a bird, she needs to fly' the artist is seen to transform in to a number of birds. This is symbolic that you cant hide from love which suggests she feels the person is doing.This is seen as unique and unrealistic subverting from the stereotypical conventions of a pop music video.

In the video i would say that 90% is performance based and 10% is narrative based. This is because even though there is no themes in the video Madonna transforms into different types of animals such as birds or even a dog which is the only illustrations of narrative within the music video. The majority of the music video consisted of the artist looking directly into the camera performing the song.

Through mise-en-scene features such as make up, Madonna is represented as being frozen relating to the title of the song. This is due to the connotations of her being pale white. She is also represented to be very Gothic through her costume. Her hair, clothes, jewelry etc are all black with is conventional to goths.The colours are effective in contributing to a dark eerie atmosphere highlighting that the artists emotions of being sad and depressed. Also the artists representation is shown through slow paced editing which further coincides that she is frozen.

Chris Cunningham - 'Windowlicker' by Aphex Twin

Cunningham created a short story as the music video lasts for 10 minutes long. The music video is dance/techno music genre however it shows thriller/ horror characteristics. The music video has been edited to place men's faces on women's bodies. This is bizarre and unusual making the music video diverse. This could be seen as disturbing to some viewers and therefore it may limit the target audience.


The music video shows evidence of one of Goodwin's points as there was a link between the music and the visuals through editing. In the middle of the video a guy got out of a limousine and started dancing with an umbrella which was parallel to the beat of the music. Camera shots alternated coinciding with the beat of the music creating a continuous flow. There is also evidence of voyeuristic treatment of the females body. Even though the the characters consist of men having female bodies, they women are seen to be wearing revealing clothing. One scene that feature in the music video is the dominant male character is performing on the beach with a group of females dressed in bikinis. This therefore is effective in broadening there target audience as it attracts a larger male target audience. Due to the music video being disturbing and diverse the range of audience is very limited.


The structure of the video was 100% narrative based. The music video has a beginning where the two men arguing in the car, It then goes on to show a man get out of a  limousine and starts dancing with two other women. In the middle of the music video it feature the man and two women in the back of the limousine driving to the beach. At the end of the music video a scene is shown when the group of people arrive at a beach. This consists of the dominant male dancing with a group of women. This isn't considered as a performance as the male is not the artist, and the song doesn't have any lyrics to sing to. Therefore there is no representation of the artist in this music video as the artist doesn't appear.

The second diverse director is Gondry. He is a  french director who is known for creative diverse abstract music videos. He directed a music video for Kylie Minogue 'Come into my world' as well as 'Hardest Button to push' by The White Stripes.  In both music videos he subverts the generic conventions of the music genres therefore making them diverse standing out from other mainstream music videos.

Michael Gondry- 'Come into my world' by Kylie Minogue 

The music video is set in Paris where you see Kylie Minogue walking around the streets. This is unconventional to the pop gender as usually the artists are shown to have a glamour life style instead of  'the girl next door'. Through mise-en-scene elements such as costume the artists images portrays her to be ordinary. Therefore the music video conforms to Dyers Star theory. The narrative of the music video consists of the artist continuously walking around the same path in which a new version of the artist would enter her world; this relates to the title of the song. Each time the artist goes around the loop something different would change in the background. This is seen as diverse as it is unusual to see more that one version of the artist performing in the music video and therefore subverts from the stereotypical pop convention. It also shows that the music resembles an independent music video.

There is evidence of Goodwin's theory as there is a link between the lyrics and the visuals in the music video. When Kylie sings 'come into my world' another Kylie would enter the screen repeating the walk she just did. Also something else would double in the screen such as a ladder. This technique continues throughout the video. There is also further evidence of the demands of the record label. When performing there was close up camera shots showing the artist singing to the lyrics of the song. This is effective as it enable to audience to see the artists facial expressions allowing them to build up a relationship with the artist.

I would say that 80% of the music video is performance based and only 20% is narrative based. This is because throughout the video Kylie is walking around the streets of Paris singing her song whilst directly looking at the camera. The narrative is evident as each time a new Kylie enters something would change in the back group. An example would be there was more than one person shouting from the window or a additional ladder was added to the scene.

The artist has been represented as 'the girl next door' through her costume and props. Kylie is seen to be wearing casual clothes such as jeans and a top. She is also seen to be picking  up her dry cleaning like an ordinary person. This is unconventional in a pop video and therefore makes it diverse.


Michael Gondry- 'The hardest button to button' by The white stripes

Gundry created a alternative rock video which consisted of the artist playing the drums and guitar around the streets and even in a train station. This subverts the conventions of a rock genre video as usually they are seen to be playing at a gig rather than a deserted location. However the artists are seen to be wearing black and red which are both colour that are conventional to the rock music genre.


There is evidence of Goodwin's theory in this music video as there is a correlation between the music and visuals. Each time there is a beat another instrument would appear next to the previous one until there is a line of them down the street or at the station. This is effective as the camera shots would alternate parallel to the beat of the song. The music video consists of straight cuts creating a edgy jumpy video. This shows are correlations between the music and the visual as each time the beat changed it coincided with the straight cuts.

I would say that the music video is 100% performance based as there is no story to the video its just the artist playing the instruments though out video however just in different deserted locations. Therefore the audience are only able to build a relationship through the performance based as there is no narrative or concept to the video. This is diverse from other music videos which usually consist of 60% performance and 40% narrative based.

The artist is seen to be wearing a typical 'rock' outfit. They were seen to be wearing jeans and tops that consisted of the colours black and red. These are generic conventions in the rock genre.

• How do the music videos conform/ not conform to generic conventions?

Neither of the Cunningham's music videos conform to the generic conventions. In 'Frozen' by Madonna, she subverts typical pop conventions such as showing her to have a glamours pop style lifestyle or wearing fashionable clothing. Instead her music video is diverse as it appears to be Gothic and almost horror related. In the second music video 'windowlicker' by Aphex Twin, they also show diversity through editing. They transform women to have men's faces which is unusual and thriller/horror like. 

Neither of Gondrys music videos conformed to the generic conventions of their music genre. In Kyle Minogues music video 'Come into my world' she was represented as an ordinary person who had an ordinary lifestyle. This subverts the pop conventions as she isn't seen to be glamorous. In the other music video 'hardest button to button' by the White Stripes, they were seen to be performing in deserted locations. This also subverts generic conventions of a rock video as they are usually seen to be performing at a gig.

• What are the positives and negative aspects?

The positives to having a diverse music videos is that it makes it memorable. The video stands out from all the others as they are so different. It also allows the directors and artists more freedom and creativity to do what they want instead of having to follow the convention of the music genre. A diverse music video attracts the target audience as it makes them intrigued to watch it. The negatives to a diverse music video however, is that the target audience may think that it is bizarre and therefore lose fans. It also prevents the audience from building up a relationship with the artist and there for there is no connection.

This research will assist me in planning my music video as I have decided to create a music  video that conforms to the stereotypical conventions of  the pop music genre. This is because I felt that by having a diverse music video, it restricted your target audience a great deal and due to disturbing concepts (such as men faces on women's bodies) the music video may not be appropriate for all aged target audiences therefore further restricting it.

Research into Goodwin's Theory

Goodwin’s Theory  ‘ Dancing in the Distraction Factory’

1) There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals

(either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting). Goodwin's theory suggests that each music video will show some form of relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. Depending on the message of the song a illustrative narrative will give the audience a better understanding of what the song is about and therefore the audience are more likely to be able to relate. One example of a music video that shows a relationship between the lyrics and visuals is Christina Aguilera's Video 'Beautiful'. The lyrics of the songs state 'You are beautiful no matter what they say' in which the narrative of the music video shows people who subvert the norm i.e. a person who is gay or a girl suffering from anorexia.

2)Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics 

Goodwin's theory suggests that music videos demonstrate genre characteristics  For example, you would be likely to see a stage performance in metal video, or even a dance routine for boy/girl band. An example of a group that conforms to Goodwin's theory is the pussy cat dolls. In their music video 'When I grow up' the group are seen to have a dance routine throughout the video. This is effective as it gives the audience a feel good atmosphere and allows them to dance along and copy the choreography.

3)There is a relationship between music and visuals

(either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting). Goodwin's theory also suggests that there is a relationship between the music and visuals. This is where the editing is either parallel or contradicting to the beat of the song. It is conventional for the editing to be shown parallel to the music as it creates a continuous flow throughout the music video making it more enjoyable for the audience to watch.

4)The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style).

The artists are market tools which are constructed to appeal to the mainstream audience. Goodwin's theory suggests that the record labels will request close ups to be shows continually throughout the music video as they are trying to sell the artist. This close up camera shots are effective as it allows the target audience to build up a relationship with the artist through the facial expressions and gives the impression the video is more personal to individual fans. It also suggests that artist develop motif which will recur across their work. One example of an artist that conforms to this is Rihanna. In her music video 'Stay' close up camera shots are regularly shown.

5)There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.  There is often intertexual reference (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc).

Goodwin's theory suggested that music videos show frequent references to the notion of looking; in particular voyeuristic treatment of the females body. This is a generic convention to mainly R&B music videos as camera shots show women to be dressed more provocatively in order to appeal to the audience.  It is also used on men who are seen to have good bodies i.e muscles.  In Neyo's music video 'Hate that i love you' there is references to voyeuristic treatment of the female body. This was shown through mid shots of Rihanna wearing revealing clothing, which follows Goodwin's theory.

Goodwin's theory suggested that some music videos display  intertexual references to films, tv programmes and other music videos. One example of this is Lawson's music video 'Broken hearted'. In the video there is evidence that the band used intertextual references as they are shown to appear on TV such as a non-fictional news channel as an exclusive that the couple have broken up. It is also shown when the girlfriend is seen to turn on the television, the band appear on a show called Young Hollywood. This is effective in the music video as it gives the audience a better understanding as through intertextual references in the narrative, it is clear to the audience the couple have broken up and suggests that she cheated on him.

6)Consider whether the video is primarily performance based or concept based and how elements of each are used in it. 

Goodwin's theory suggested that music videos are commonly split into different percentages of performance, narrative and concept based. Different music videos consist of different styles and dont always use all three elements. An example of a music video that used mainly performance based with little narrative is James Morrison 'Broken Strings'. The music video consisted of the artist singing the song whilst playing the guitar throughout the majority of the video, however editing techniques were used to show a narrative of a broken couple who 'Running back through the fire, when theres nothing left to save'. 

Music video analysis – Justin Timberlake What goes around

Lyrics and visuals
Goodwin’s theory suggests that there is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals that are either illustrative, amplifying or contradicting. This is important as it gives the audience an understanding of the lyrics. An example of this is in Justin Timberlake’s music video what goes around. The lyrics are illustrative as they are about a man who falls in love with a women who eventually cheats on him ‘Hey girl, is he everything you wanted in a man?’  He then goes on to suggest that  she will in turn get bad karma because of this ‘what goes around comes all the way back around’. This is further emphasized in the music video when the woman is caught kissing another man and when she tries to run away she goes on to have a car crash. Like Goodwin stated, there was a correlation between the visuals and the lyrics throughout the video. It it important the for there to be a correlation between the lyrics and visuals and it give the audience an insight to what the song is about and helps them understand the message the artist is trying to get across, in this situation it is about cheating.

Genre Characteristics
Goodwin suggested that music videos demonstrate genre characteristics.  For example in a rock Music video there would be a performance or in a boy/girl band they would show some form of a dance routine. In Justin Timberlake’s music video, they have used an interesting narrative structure to give the audience the impression it’s an adaptation of a movie. The video starts off with Justin meeting Scarlett in which the video shows him falling in love her. He was even prepared to marry her ‘I was ready to give you my name’ when he walked in on her cheating.  However the song goes on to say that now she is lonely ‘you spend your nights alone’  and that man she left him for is now cheating on her ‘He’s doing to you, what you did to me’ The ending of the video has a different story to what the lyrics suggest subverting the convention of a pop music genre. Instead of showing Scarlett lonely with her partner cheating it shows the dramatic break up between her and Justin in which she ends up in a car crash that results in her death. It is important for a music video to show genre characteristics and the audience will seek conventions. For example most pop videos show a narrative about a a broken relationship as it relates to the message of the song.  The video also shows genre characteristics as formal locations are used. Everyone in the background is seen to be dressed in formal black dresses connoting that the artist is part of a wealth class showing his status. The artists house also shows that he has a swimming pool which further portrays the fact that the artist has status and money.

Relationship between music and visuals
Goodwin suggested that there is there is a relationship between the music and the visuals that are either illustrative, amplifying or contradicting. In the music video, this is evident when Justin is dancing when performing. Not only does he dance to the rhythm of the song but in the background there are dancers are spinning hoops of fire. This is parallel to the lyrics when he sings 'what goes around goes around  goes around comes all the way back around'.  Camera shots such as close ups enable the audience to relate the to artists facial expressions and see how he has been effected by her cheating in the relationship. 

Demands of the record label

Goodwin’s theory suggests that the record label will include lots of close ups of the artist and that the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work such as their visual style. This is seen to happen in Justin Timberlake’s 'what goes around' music video. This enable the audience to relate to the artists facial expressions and get a better understanding of the song through his body language. They are also able to see him emphasis the lyrics showing how he implied that she got bad karma due to her cheating. Close up camera shots of the artist are also effective as it promotes the artist as they are seen to be a marketing tool in order to attract a mainstream audience.

Notion of looking

Goodwin suggested that notion of looking is used to portray how someone in particular is seen. For example women are very often portrayed to be seen as objects and that they are man’s possession. This is apparent in Justin Timberlake’s video when he walks in on her cheating on him. A mid shot is used to show him holding her against the wall looking down on her. This connotes that he is the dominant character and she is portray to seem weak and vulnerable. When she pushes him away saying ‘you don’t own me’ he replies with ‘I own you!’  
The music video showed frequent references to voyeuristic treatment to the females body. In the video, the women were seen to be wearing revealing and provocative clothing. Scarlet who acts are the artists girlfriend was seen to be wearing low cut corset. It is also shown as the dances are wearing tight-fitted  outfits that reveal their legs. This is effective as it attracts a males target audience as well as a female target audience.
Style of music video
I would say that the style of the music video is 30% performance based, 60% narrative based and 10% concept. This is because short camera shots where shown of the artist performing throughout the music video. however it mainly consisted of a narrative. The narrative was of a short story as to how the couple met and that the artist fell in love with this unique, courageous girl who eventually betrayed him. The narrative was more profound than the performance as it was used to give the audience a better understanding of the lyrics.The concept of the music video was that If you do bad thing you will in turn get bad karma. Due to the artists girlfriend cheating on him, as a result she ended up in a car crash by running away from her actions. This therefore is effective as it promotes a negative image on cheating to the target audience and helps those who has been cheated on relate to the narrative.

Summery
When it comes to making my music video I am going to consider Goodwin's theory and how I can can relate the points to the video. For example, one point I intend to include is the relationship between the lyrics and visuals. I would like to use both performance and narrative based in the video in which the narrative will have references to the lyrics. I am also going to be mindful that like Goodwin suggest there is a relationship between the music and the visuals. The editing needs to be at the same pace as the beat of the song so it creates a continuous, smooth flow throughout the music video. The theory has given me a better understanding of conventions of a music video and how different elements are used to help attract a mainstream audience.

        

Analysis of music genres

Analysis of music videos genres

Music videos are significant in allowing the audience to build a relationship with the artist and helping them understand their lifestyles. It also enables the audience to understand what the song is about through the lyrics and the visuals. Genre characteristics are applied to all music videos in order to attract a specific target audience. Elements such as camera, editing and mise-en-scene are carefully adapted to the music genre in order to follow certain conventions. However some artist such as Lady Gaga subvert the music genre conventions in order to stand out in the music industry which is proven to also be successful.

Drake - Over

      At the beginning of the music video a close up camera shot was used to introduce the artist to the target audience. Drake is seen to be sitting on the end of a bed looking directly at the camera. This allows the audience to engage with him through his body language and facial expressions. Drake then goes on to rap about his life story which is a convention to this particular music genre.  This is effective as the audience are able to build a relationship with the artist whilst learning about his life story. The rap tells the audience about how successful he has become in his music career and how much his life has changed.  

      Another close up camera shot was used in order to highlight the importance of the artist. Drake is seen to be position in the centre of the screen standing in front of a plain black background. This is effective as it make the artist stand out from the scene allowing the audience to focus on Drake and only him. This can be related to Goodwin's point about the Demands of a record label and how they request close ups of the artist throughout their music video.  This therefore shows the representation of the artist showing drake to be well dressed and a fashionable role model. The close ups enable the audience to focus on the artists facial expressions and relate to the emotions that is shown when rapping the lyrics.

     Editing is a key feature in this music video as it is used to portray the artists 'extraordinary' lifestyle. Dissolve cuts are used when Drake is shown to be sitting on the end of the bed. In the background images of the city road is projected on the walls behind him. This is effective as the road is symbolic of his journey to fame. It could also highlight to the audience how chaotic his lifestyle is in contrast to what it was like before he was famous. This is conventional to the rap music genre as they are seen to have exciting and fast paced lifestyles.

      Mise-en-scene is also an important element in the music video as it helps connote the message the artist is trying to get across to the audience. In the video dissolve cuts are further used to show elements of fire throughout different scenes. In one particular scene, like in Goodwin's Theory, lyrics are used to show a relationship between the visuals. One lexis in particular was 'Pain'. This is shown parallel to the fire in which it connotes the pain he had to go through in order to be successful. The audience are able to get a sense of the struggles he had to go through in order to become the person he is today and therefore get a better understanding of the song. This is also a technique that is conventional to the rap music genre.

David Guetta ft Flo Rida - Club can't handle me

      At the beginning of the music video an establishing shot was used to show the artists turning up to what appears to be a popular club. A close up camera shot is then used to show the artist stepping out of an expensive car introducing him to the audience. This is conventional to the music genre as artists are often represented to have rich, glamorous lifestyles. This in turn connotes the artists power and status in contrast to everyone else queuing to get in the club. This highlights to the audience his 'extraordinary' lifestyle and views the artist as a role model.

      A long shot is then used to show the artist standing above the audience in the centre of the screen. This further connotes the artists power and status and he is seen to be positioned above everyone else. The camera shot is effective as it enables the audience to focus on the artist as it make him stand out from the crowd. This scene in particular related to one of Goodwin's Theory as there is a correlation between the music and visuals. The crowd are seen to be jumping up and down parallel to the beat of the music. This highlights that the artist has managed to get everyone dancing which is conventional in a dance music genre. Therefore it highlights the artists feel good atmosphere to the audience making making them enjoy the song more.

      Fast pace editing is used throughout the video as it follows the beat of the music. When they are in the club, jump cuts are used to go from one camera shot to another.  This connotes the chaotic atmosphere of the club and represents the artist as having a good time. In the camera shot you are also able to see the artist wearing his sunglasses inside. This represents the artist superior arrogant attitude as a result to his status. He is also seen to be wearing a gold chain. This costume is conventional in the rap genre as it represents their wealth and flashy lifestyle. Therefore an audience who is interested in this music genre will seek these generic conventions.

Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball

      At the beginning of the music video a close up camera shot was used to establish the artist. In the camera shot you are able to see the artist crying. This is effective as it allows the audience to focus on the artists facial expressions and therefore they are able to relate to the emotion of the song. The artist crying is symbolic to the artist vulnerability and pain which reinforces the lyrics 'I will always want you'. The audience are able to get a better understanding of the song as they can see the pain that was caused in the relationship. This is a convention of a pop video as it makes the audience focus on the artist and nothing else.

     There is evidence of Goodwin's theory as there is a relationship between the lyrics and visuals. When Miley sings 'all I wanted was to break your wall's'  a wrecking ball crashed into the walls and knocks them down. This is symbolic of the relationship and how she tried to get through to her partner and all it left was destruction. Slow pace editing was used to show her walking towards the camera dragging a hammer. This connotes that she is strong and powerful which shows a contrast between the artist vulnerability that was shown in previous camera shots. This is conventional of this music genre as as the visuals in the music video helps the audience understand the true meaning of the song. 

     In the music video, Miley subverts generic conventions of a pop music video by wearing no clothing. Long camera shot was used to show Miley sitting naked of the wrecking ball. This further symbolizes the artist vulnerability. However, this also represents the artist's image as sexualised. She is also seen to be wearing red lip stick which also contributes to this image. This subverts the typical conventions and therefore catches the audience's attention. 

1)How do the technical elements vary in the different music videos? 

Technical elements vary in different music videos due to the genre of the music video. Flo Rida is a more rap/dance artist and therefore would use conventional elements such as location at a club and everybody dancing. Miley Cyrus is a pop artist however and has used a symbolic location to highlight to the audience the message and emotion of her song. These element are all effective in attracting their different target audience.

2)How do music videos appeal to an audience?

The music videos appeal to an audience through conventions of the music genres. For example the analysis of 'Club cant handle me', mise-en-scene elements such as location attract the audience. The music video consisted of the artist partying at a popular club creating a feel good, live atmosphere. This is highlighted to the audience which makes it appeal to a teenager, young adult audience.

3)How can the audience build a relationship with the artist?
     The audience is able to build a relationship with the artists through close up camera shots. This is because it enables the audience to focus on only the artist and look at their facial expressions. Therefore the are able to build up a relationship as they feel they are able to relate and understand the emotion of the song. For example in the analysis of 'Wrecking Ball', close ups show Miley crying. This highlights the pain she has felt through the break up of her relationship.

4)What ideas or inspirations can you use for your music video and why?
      By analysis the three music videos, i have been inspired to follow the generic codes and conventions of the pop music genre. I feel that this is the best way to attract a target audience. I would like to use symbolic locations like 'Wrecking Ball' as well as using editing features to show a narrative of the lyrics like Drake did in 'Over'.

Research into music censorship

Do you think music videos should be censored?

Censorship Law/ Ofcom

Censorship is the suppression of speech and public communication in a variety of different contexts such as books, music, films, the press, radio, television etc that may be considered to be harmful or sensitive. A variety of methods are used in channels such as MTV or AKA in order to solve this for example:

·        Blanking- this is where the volume is silenced to mute the offensive word.

·        Repeating the word said before the offensive word

·        Skipping the offensive word without time delay

The government control this through private organizations that self-censorship. An example of this is Ofcom. Ofcom stands for the Office of Communications which, is a government-approved regulatory and competition authority in communication services such as television, radio, magazines, newspapers etc. They were established in 2002, however in 2003 they received full authority from the communications act. They have a wide range of control across these regions that allows them to protect the audience from anything that might be considered harmful or offensive. If the public chose to complain about what they have seen or heard, Ofcom assess it against the code.

Examples of censorship in music videos

One of the music videos that I have looks at is Slim Shady by Eminem. There were a number of reasons as to why the music video was censored. One of them being is that his lyrics ‘Y'all act like you never seen a white person before’ could be seen as racist. If the song was to be played on radios for example, it is open to a wider audience which could offend a large number of people. To prevent this they would have to censor the song before is released. Ofcom could perhaps use blanking to mute the word so it wouldn't offend people when they were to listen to it on the radio or even on music channels.

Another reason why the music video was censored was due to the lyrics having sexual references ‘and expect them not to know what a woman's clitoris is’ and ‘Of course they gonna know what intercourse is’. Audiences such as parents may find this offensive and they may not want their children to be exposed to music containing this. Therefore the music channels may not play the song before nine o’clock or only play a censored version. When Ofcom censors this music video, I think they should use skipping so that you wouldn't hear the sexual words in the song. This would therefore cause less offence to young children and parents.

Eminem is often known to swear in his songs for example, ‘Well I do, so fuck him and fuck you too’ this is seen as offensive and can have a negative impact on the younger audience. They are more innocent and are not old enough to understand that they should repeat the same language as the artist. To censor this video i think they should mute the word out before it is played and therefore they wont be encourage to speak in that way.

A negative to an artist being controversial is that some of the audience may find their work rude and offensive. Therefore it will have impacts such as losing popularity. A positive to this is that in allows the artist to be different. Some people prefer artists who stand out from the rest and they find it fresh and exciting. 

Rihanna Debate

Rihanna is one of the most popular artists releasing 5 successful albums. She has a wide target audience that range from young children to adults. However some people say Rihanna’s music and her music videos may not be appropriate for this target audience.

As a class we were all assigned different roles such as Rihanna, MTV, AKA, parent for, Parent against and a fan. We had a debate on whether Rihanna’s songs and videos are appropriate for her audience and why her music needs to be censored.

Music channels such as AKA and MTV dominate the music industry playing Rhianna's music constantly. However some of her music videos have to be censored as they were deemed inappropriate; Rhianna's music video ‘We found love’ is an example of this. In the video there was a scene where she was seen to be smoking, drug use, drinking alcohol, stealing from the shops, participating in an abusive relationship and sexual contact. If the younger children of her target audience were to watch this music video they may feel it is acceptable to act this way their role model does. They are unable to tell what is reality and what is done for the benefit of a music video. To prevent this we agreed that the music channels should only play the video after nine o’clock when a more appropriate aged audience are likely to watch the video. 

However, the person debating AKA felt that a purpose of a music video is to give the audience a better understanding of the song and the artist. They believe Rihanna's success was partly due to the audience being able to relate to the artist; for example getting caught up in a bad relationship or drinking alcohol. The classmate debating this said “Aka aim to provide a true reflection of the artist and censorship would prevent this”

As a group we also debated about the subject from her fans perspective. We debated whether Rihanna is seen as a good role model if she encourages and promotes drinking, smoking, swearing,  drug use, violence, stealing etc in her music. Fan look up to Rihanna and imitate her behaviour to live the same life style as the artist. Her younger target audiences are more vulnerable and are more likely to be influence by her behaviour that her older target audience.  Some people agreed that she is a bad influence and that she shouldn’t expose her fans to behaviours like that however some people also disagreed. Other people suggested that it’s her job to entertain her fans and they enjoy it. “Her videos is a narrative, they should focus on her as a person and not the storyline of her videos”. I think that ofcom should censor the video to prevent any offense to the audience. One thing in particular would be to use skipping. This would be useful in block out swearing of even offensive behaviour in the video.

After, we looked at it from the perspective of the parents. We agreed that some parent may be for Rihanna’s music not being censored as it informs and educated the audience. “If you educate the children on matters such as drugs, violence and alcohol, they will be able to understand the difference between a video and reality. This will prevent them from copying her and realise it is for entertainment purposes only”. However, some parent may disagree. Most parents want to protect the children from that behaviour and that she should “tone down the violence and nudity in her videos as it influences them”.

From the record labels perspective, her attitudes and behaviours are getting a lot of attention which increases her profit. It is there job to release Rihanna’s music to make a profit we suggested that “it’s their job to release the music, not to be a role model. It is down to the audience to idealise her or not”.

Her music is not only restricted on music channels but it is affected through radio stations. Any language that may be offensive or sensitive has to be censored and if it isn’t it wouldn’t be able to play to song till later in the evening. This would reduce her profits as it would reduce the promotion of the songs. To solve this they could use blanking, skipping or repeating which blocks out the swearing.

A positive to Rihanna displaying this behaviour as it connotes her rebellious behaviour to the audience. They may feel she is just having fun and is carefree, however the negatives to this is that it shows her condoning this 'bad' behaviour making fans feel it is acceptable to act this way even though it isn't. In my opinion I think Rihanna should used less swearing in her lyrics and when she creates her music videos, make it so it is appropriate for all a younger audience. This involves reducing the violence, stealing, drug use, drinking, etc.

When filming our music video we are going to consider the role of censorship and whether it would need to be applied to our music video. If there are any inappropriate words that we feel are unsuitable for the audience we will use of of the techniques such as blanking, skipping, or repeating